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Great experience overall - Civil Engineer I Atkins Employee Review

4.0
Feb 4, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Fantastic manager and a very skilled team ( particularly Water Resources and Highway/Construction) - Work on complex, large-scale (up to $ billions) projects - Overtime pay typically available, depending on contract - Good culture with respect to letting teams and managers do their jobs, at least from my point of view. - A flexible company--my manager(s) were mostly very understanding of work-life balance and open to ideas, changes, etc. Flexible work schedule offered. Also, they let me switch into the Graduate Development rotational program, which allowed me to work within different facets of civil engineering. - A decent amount of work in the field, if you want it. - At the time (not sure how it is now), they didn't "cram" any "inclusion" initiatives down your throat... it felt like a naturally diverse and merited workforce at the Austin office, and a nice atmosphere.

Cons

- Acquired by SNC Lavalin (somewhat sketchy past?), making it an even larger corporation, effects TBD - Somewhat difficult to get in on the more "innovative" projects and solutions.. most work, on the individual, granular level, seems to be "build more, build bigger", and sort of run-of-the-mill civil engineering. - Found out an immigrant colleague within a different department was underpaid compared to American peers (the person was at the mercy of their work-visa, more or less). It could be an individual issue with that manager, but probably an industry-wide, or even country-wide practice, which wouldn't surprise me--nonetheless, it was upsetting and off-putting.

Explore other reviews about Atkins

5.0
Oct 13, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

A lot of work to be done Many opportunities to try different things

Cons

Advancement can be hard Working alongside underperformers

2.0
Nov 17, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Job and a paycheck but in a house of cards.

Cons

Wow, be careful! Atkins North America was acquired when Atkins in London bought a notorious US engineering based in Florida, PBS&J (Post, Buckley, Shuh and Jernigan). I didn't do enough research when hired and found out too late I was working for a company that has been prosecuted multiple times for serious illegalities, and some of the executives who participated but escaped prosecution are still there! PBS&J has been indicted for bribing government officials, illegal campaign contributions, and was a private company put on the chopping blocks to sell for being so poorly managed when several of the employees embezzled millions upon millions of dollars. As recent as 2016 the company was struggling financially because of legal costs and fines to the extent the focus became finishing out existing contracts rather than procuring new ones...an indicator they do not want new business and are likely to chop off the US engineering wing and spin those employees out to another company. Do your research before accepting a job there, the good old boy network that didn't previously get caught or prosecuted in the illegalities is still working there, and they haven't changed much in being secretive about what they are doing!! Get everything in writing as they are all about the bait and switch.

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